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Showing posts from September 9, 2012

Fanya Fujo Uone.

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The conflict in the Tana Delta began almost a month ago over a struggle for land between two clans: The Orma and Pokomo it became a bloody battle between farmer and pastoralist a fight that is nothing new. The always dependable government stuck to their old and much rehearsed script: stay really quiet and hang back until things bad and several lives are lost, then send in the riot stopping squad, who do so by any means; including tear gas and live bullets, with these guys the government can be sure that the noisy riot will cease with immediate effect. These are the guys you send in when things are truly awful. And they are with mostly women and children losing their lives the word Massacre has aptly been used in describing the disaster.   Now almost a month into the fatal game retaliation and counter retaliation the government has come out of their silent, protective, cocoon imposing a curfew and talking tough. The police however seem to be reading from their own entirely blameless

Tumechoka!

This is war: must have been the general consensus amongst the teachers around the country when they decided last week to take most drastic action that would push and press a government of elaborate promises and silver tongues into a tight corner and into submission and finally giving in to a 15 year old demand that has so far been delicately pushed aside or swept into the grave yard of forgotten promises. So the public school teachers did what all Kenyans do when they are not heard; down their chalk and step away from both blackboard and class room to take to the streets shouting and singing their displeasure for all to see, thus creating a crisis for the standard 8 and 4 th Form candidates who under normal circumstances would be preparing for these crucial exams. On their list of demands is a 300% salary hike. The teachers union have chosen mass action and disobedience of a court order to return to work while turning a stone deaf ear to a tough talking government- who continu